So I discovered something exciting. I have posted before about my new found love of beans (black beans are my favorite).

They are just so versatile – you can use them in stew, soup, dips, salsa, chili, salads. They are high in protein and fibre. They are low in WW points. They fill you up and keep you feeling full. I was singing the praises of the bean even before I discovered that you can use them to make dessert.

I had heard about black bean brownies and was even considering making some from a recipe I had found online. Then one night my Mom called me to tell me she had the most amazing gluten-free dessert at a friend’s house. You guessed it – black bean brownies. Since my Mom is gluten intolerant, any new discovery of gluten free desserts is exciting to us.

Turns out her friend had been at the One of a Kind craft show and had come across this little business called The Bean Ladies. Even better – they have a store right here in Brampton. So while my folks were in town last week, we went to The Bean Ladies store. We sampled their gluten free muffins (yummy!), we tried a number of their roasted bean snacks (I especially enjoy Canadian Maple, eh? and Hot Chicks) and we bought a lot of their stuff.

Check them out – they have wonderful products. Right now I am completely obsessed with their roasted soy bean and roasted chick pea snacks. I have made the brownies and they are great, too (though I am going to experiment in my next batch to see if I can use less oil and substitute maple syrup for refined sugar). I have a mix for black bean salsa that I haven’t tried yet, but I am sure it will be great, just as all their other stuff has been.

I love new discoveries!